33 hp evinrude bearings..

anyone that can help.. i recently tore my LU apart to replace the driveshaft seal. anywho... i pulled the driveshaft out of the lower unit and just as i did that i hear the sound of something dropping into the gearcase.. sure enough.. it was half of those vertical type roller bearings.. obviously for the driveshaft.. anyways.. i tore the gearcase apart and retrieved the ones that fell down there (pain in the you know what) and replaced them the best i could.. but notice somehow im missing some.
yes.. i know.. i have a problem on my hands.. i put the driveshaft back in ect etc and everything back together. the prop doesnt spin as freely as it did (im assuming this is the new driveshaft seal doing this) and fired it up with the muffs on in the driveway for a few minutes and everything seemed to be working well..

my question is this (not being very well educated with boat motor issues, but too bull headed to drop $72 an hour for labor) how important exactly are those bearings (important im sure) and what do i have to do to get the old ones out and new ones in?? im anxious to get the boat back out but am scared taking it with how it is will only further increase the chance of a bigger problem???

hey bob.. just out of curiousity... im wandering what a fix like this might cost a person taking this to a marine shop that has a $60 - $70 an hour labor cost.

id take the lower unit apart and give them that all tore down to the driveshaft seal.. so all they'd have to do is take that out and then the bearing assembly thing below that and replace them with new ones?

i think if i had most the tear down work done for them that it would dramatically decrease the hours of labor it would take for them to fix it.

do you have any idea what this part would cost a person if i was to order it off the internet? im not even sure what it is called..

thanks a bunch again... you have no idea how much i appreciate the help

If your running it without all the bearings in the right place and none got tore up in the gears, then i would think it shouldn't take any longer than 2 hrs to clean, inspect, make sure all the parts are there, reassemble, pressure test, and fill with oil.